Australia extends HPV vaccine to schoolboys

In what is claimed “a world first” by the Department of Health and Ageing, Australian schoolboys will be able to get treatment with Gardasil (human papillomavirus quadrivalent [types 6, 11, 16, and 18] vaccine, recombinant, from Merck & Co), which will protect them against developing a range of cancers and bolster the effectiveness of this vaccine in women.

Starting next school year, the Gillard government will fund the vaccine for 12 and 13-year-old boys through school-based programs under the National Immunization Program. Year 9 boys will also be able to get the vaccine at school under a catch-up program for the next two years.